Haystacks: Autumn

An industrialist commissioned Millet’s Four Seasons in 1868. In this autumn scene, sheep graze after harvest near Chailly and Barbizon. Visible ground and preparatory drawing belong to the artist’s late manner, rather than indicating damage to the reproduction.

A large conical stack rises on the left. The gathered harvest supplies the seasonal painting’s largest forms.

A second tall stack stands on the right. The two substantial volumes enclose the area occupied by the flock.

A smaller stack sits between the larger ones. Different sizes establish depth and the quantity of gathered material.

The dense flock grazes after harvesting. The painting joins successive uses of the same agricultural ground.

A dark sheep lowers its head in the foreground. The nearby animal stands apart from the flock’s broader mass.

Pale roofs appear on the horizon. Distant settlements connect seasonal labour with an inhabited rural landscape.

From 1849 Millet worked mainly in Barbizon. His peasant subjects influenced the early Van Gogh. The industrialist’s commission also records urban buyers’ interest in agricultural labour and seasonal rural life.